Despite government affirmations that the HST will cure all ills, up to and including premature hair loss, the taxpayer suffers under a deficit of faith these days.
The information on Campbell's pre-election "not on the radar" HST negotiations gained under the Freedom of Information Act is no surprise. It has just cemented voters' suspicions that the Liberal government not only doesn't have even a passing familiarity with the truth, it in fact considers truth a downright inconvenience.
A government website states that business will gain $2 billion yearly from the HST. Since this is a tax shift, this means the taxpayer will lose $2 billion a year. Yearly windfall profits for business and the loss of a week's take-home pay for many people - the $780,000 of wasted taxpayer money Gordon's government spent on the scrapped HST mailer?
With their predilection for spin, they will likely play up the savings in postage costs.
Mr. Rustad, Mr. Bell, Ms. Bond, et al, before these latest media revelations, and despite the electorate's wishes, continued to state they were foursquare behind Campbell and the HST.
This same unrepresented electorate wants to know if you still stand on this plank, since it seems more and more likely you are going to walk it.
Richard Blake
Vanderhoof
